Improvement in fifth-wheels



s. P. STILLMAN.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

Patented July 10, 1877.

No.19Z.94.-9.

u. PEI'ERS. PHOTO-LIYHOGRAFHER, WASHINGION. u c. I

UNITED STATES PATENT option...

sANFonn r. sT ILLMAN, or WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIFTH-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,949, dated July 10,1877; application filed March 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SANFORD P. STILLMAN, ofWesterly, in the county of Washington and State of Rhode Island, have.invented a new and Improved Fifth-Wheel, of which the following is aspecification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a top view; Fig. 2, avertical longitudinal section on line as m, Fig. 1, of my improvedfifth-wheel Fig. 3, a bottom View of. the grooved and toothedguide-plate, and Fig. 4 a detail side and end view of the toothedfriction-roller.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved fifth-wheel forvehicles of all kinds, by which the vehicle may be turned in less spaceand more convenient manner, without the use ofa king-bolt, forming amore durable, stronger, and heater method of connecting axle and rockerthan those heretofore in use. I

The invention consists of the axle and rocker having outer segmentalguide-rails and inner concentric rails or plates, the latter havingtoothed grooves and an intermediate spurred or toothed friction-roller.The guide rails swing on a center-bolt of the reach, while the rocker issteadily retained on the bed-rails by a central connecting-arm, bearing,by a notched part, on the flange of the inner rail or plate of therocker.

In the drawing, A represents the axle, and B the rocker, to which myimproved fifthwheel construction is applied. On the axle are supportedconcentric bed rails or plates 0 and D, which are connected at the endsby curved brace-rods a, which are welded or otherwise attached to acenter-bar, E, that extends back of the bolster, and is made to swing,by its perforated rear end or sleeve, on a center-bolt, b, of the reach.

To the supporting bed-rails O and D of the axle are fitted thecorresponding rails O and D" of the rocker, which are braced by curvedend rods a in similar manner as the supporting-rails, and attached, by arigid center-bar, E, to the under side of the reach,

The outer end of the rigid center-bar E is connected, by an additionalsupportingfod, d,.to the lower end ofthe center-bolt, to'retain thelower bar E securely in position thereon.

The lower bar E bears, by a recess and projection, e, on the innerflange e of the rail D, so as to produce the rigid connection of r therocker-rails of the fifth-wheel with'the.

supporting-rails.

The axle and rocker-rails are, by the fastening-rod d and projection andflange e e, firmly held. together, without being liable to separate orpart, so as to secure the reliable workingof the fifth-wheel withoutrolling of axle or breaking of king-bolt.

The upper and interior rail D is guided by side flanges f steadily alongthelower supporting-rail D, the upper rail being provided with a toothedgroove, f as shown in Fig. 3, and the lower rail D with a central raisedpart and teeth f, at both sides of the same.

A spurred or toothed friction-roller, F, is placed between the toothedparts of the upper and lower rails, and serves to take up the frictionexerted thereon by the weight of the vehicle, and to facilitate theturning of the vehicle.

The friction-roller is clearly shown in Fig.

4, and made to match the cogs of the inner plates or rails.

.When the friction-roller arrives at either end of the grooves themotion of the fifthwheel will be stopped; but the toothed guidegroovemay be made of sufficient length to admit the convenient turning of thevehicle.

The fifth-wheel construction is strong, durable, easily working, and notliable to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination of concentric bed-rails O D, toprails O D, and center-bars E E, with a center-pivot of the reach in rearof axle, said center-bars and center-pivot being stiffened by asupporting-rod, that connects the pivot-bolt, and an extension of theupper bar E, as shown and described.

2. The bed-rail D of the axle having rigid toothed grooves, and with atoothed friction center-bar E with projection e, in combination rollerfitted thereto, substantially as and for with the inner 'rail D, havinginterior flange the purpose specified.

c, for the purpose herein specified. SANFORD P. STILLMAN.

3; The combination of the inner bed-rail Witnesses:

D, having central raised part and side cogs, UHARLEs H. PENDLETON,

with the corresponding top rail D, having I N. P. NOTES.

